Kamisunagawa, Hokkaido

Kamisunagawa (上砂川町, Kamisunagawa-chō) is a town located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

Kamisunagawa
上砂川町
Town
Kamisunagawa Town Hall
Kamisunagawa Town Hall
Flag of Kamisunagawa
Official seal of Kamisunagawa
Location of Kamisunagawa in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Location of Kamisunagawa in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Kamisunagawa is located in Japan
Kamisunagawa
Kamisunagawa
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°29′N 141°59′E / 43.483°N 141.983°E / 43.483; 141.983
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
DistrictSorachi
Area
 • Total39.91 km2 (15.41 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2020)
 • Total2,841
 • Density71/km2 (180/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
Websitetown.kamisunagawa.hokkaido.jp

As of 1 October 2020, the town has an estimated population of 3,278. The total area is 39.91 km2. There is a microgravity test facility located in Kamisunagawa used for astronomic purposes.

Since 1980, Kamisunagawa has been the sister city of Sparwood in British Columbia, Canada.[1]

History

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  • 1949 – Kamisunagawa Town split off from the towns of Sunagawa and Utashinai (partial).
  • 2009 – Kamisunagawa Town, more specifically its microgravity test facility, becomes the namesake of a crater on 25143 Itokawa, an asteroid visited by Japanese uncrewed spacecraft Hayabusa.

Culture

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Mascot

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Himawari Saki-chan, the town's mascot

Kamisunagawa's mascot is Shi-tan (し~たん). He is a shiitake mushroom. His name is unknown but his name come the either "shiitake town", "see town" or "town of shiitake and coal".[2]

Notable people from Kamisunagawa

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References

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  1. ^ "Sister City | District of Sparwood". District of Sparwood. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  2. ^ "し~たんのプロフィール(上砂川町)". Kawaii Hokkaido.
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